I was taught by my parents and teachers that having an explicit plan is essential to success. While I still agree that this is wise counsel, I also have come to believe that planning is overrated. One reason is that much in life is out of our control, which frustrates even the best of plans. Another reason, which both experience and research have informed me, is that we are guided in many thoughts, feelings, intuitions, and inclinations that are not specified steps in the formal logic within “the plan.” We may not even be aware of these influences: These are implicit processes. However, it is not an “either/or” to decide to be planful, deliberate, and explicit in your reasoning versus being oriented, directed, and pushed and pulled by implicit processes that you cannot fully articulate. While these two types of influences can operate independently and move us in different directions, they also can function in a complementary fashion that guides us along a chosen path but alerts us to new, even more rewarding opportunities. Recognition and acceptance of implicit influences have been core themes in my research and, as I illustrate through personal experiences, my life.